Beautiful Goodbye
by seasidehearts
Summary: The saying 'If you love someone, let them go' finally made sense. Collection of SoKai one-shots. Post KH to KH2.
1. Beautiful Goodbye

**This is going to be sort of a series of one-shots…in a way. But they'll all sort of tie in together once I'm done. You'll see when I'm done lol. But basically all I'm doing is re-writing moments of Kingdom Hearts. **

**But my main goal is sort of to capture the ache Sora and Kairi feel from missing each other, even if they're always 'together' in a sense. **

**Also, I've found a new pair to write about that I think I'll love just as much! Roxas and Xion. We'll see how that goes. But I'm sure my heart will pretty much always be set on Sora and Kairi.**

**DISCLAIMER****:** **I don't own any part of the Kingdom Hearts franchise and I probably never will, as much as I'd like to.** **I also don't own the lines of Beautiful Goodbye by Amanda Marshall for which there will be a clip at the beginning of each 'chapter' even though they aren't really chapters.**

_Beautiful Goodbye_

X.o.X

Fed up with my destiny & this place of no return.  
Think I'll take another day & slowly watch it burn.  
Doesn't really matter how the time goes by…  
Cuz I still remember you and I,  
And that beautiful goodbye.

X.o.X

Suddenly, I was nowhere; surrounded by a dark abyss with sparkling white sand under my feet.

In confusion, I bit my lip and turned to see if I could find any answers as to where I was and why. But instead of answers, I found something even better. My heart leapt with joy as I spotted Sora, Donald, and Goofy a short distance away, and at once I knew I would be okay if Sora was there with me.

But as I studied Donald and Goofy's solemn expressions, I began to not feel so sure. Something wasn't right. But as to what it was, I had no idea.

After a moment, Sora finally turned around with a confused look upon his face; probably wondering what Donald and Goofy were looking at. Catching sight of me, I saw a look of determination and seriousness flicker across his face before he burst into a run towards me, "Kairi!"

Frowning, I took a step forward and called out to him in confusion, "Sora!" As I made my move for him, the earth shuddered beneath my feet, causing me to gasp and lose my balance.

Luckily, Sora caught my wrist and held onto my hand as I felt myself beginning to drift backwards. Still utterly confused, I looked up to him for an explanation. His sapphire eyes were filled with pain, confirming my fear that something was wrong and causing my frown to deepen. His gloved hand gripping mine tighter, Sora spoke, "Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you too."

Suddenly he was so much further away, and I was filled with horror as we were clinging onto each other with all of our strength as he yelled out, "I'll come back to you… I promise!"

Despite the fear gripping my entire body from the thought of being separated from him, I knew his words were true. I cried back in anguish, "I know you will!" and our hands were ripped apart, knocking me backwards again.

No words can describe the pain that shot through me as Sora continued to reach out towards me as we drifted farther and farther apart; I, too, eventually reaching out in desperation. We both stayed that way for a long moment before I had to put my hands together and close my eyes, trying to force myself to regain my composure and not burst into tears. Sora was feeling just as horrible as I was right now; I didn't want him to see me cry and hurt him even more.

Letting a shaky sigh pass, I reopened my eyes to an orb of light that softly fell into my open hands. Looking up in wonder, I was shocked as I saw the whole sky was filled with these orbs. It was almost like… it was snowing light. And it made me feel peaceful, if only for a moment. Looking back to Sora, he was still reaching for me before he too looked around in wonder.

And then my surroundings instantly changed again, as they had when I first arrived to this place. But this time… I was home.

Still surrounded by the orbs, I looked up in fear that Sora would no longer be there. To my relief, he was still in sight. High above me now, a blue mist began forming behind him as he called out my name one last time, "Kairi!" He looked around as the blue mist began to close in on him and repeated his promise, "I'll come back to you!" And then he was gone, and the blue mist began to recede into the horizon.

I didn't know how I felt. I was home, but was it really home without Sora? Without Riku?

I held my hand against my chest as I felt the pain rising inside of me, and I hung my head for a moment before I saw the mist began to rise again. I quickly lifted my head in curiosity and stared as stars began shooting across the sky.

I knew these stars were other worlds being restored, just as ours had been, but I couldn't help but wishing on them. After all, I had so many things to wish for.

'_I wish that Sora and Riku will be kept safe._'  
'_I wish everyone who lost their homes will be returned._'  
'_I wish that Sora will realize how I feel and return those feelings.'_

I closed my eyes for a brief moment and smiled before continuing to watch the shooting stars until sunrise.

Everything was back to how it was supposed to be. The sun was shining, the waves were roaring, the seagulls were flying above me; but I felt empty. This island was just an island without my best friends.

Desperate to feel that they were with me, I walked towards our secret place. But even this sacred place felt empty and different as I walked through its dirt hallway, feeling a lot older and mature then I was the last time I walked through it. The drawings on the rocks made me smile in reminiscence as I ran my hand across them, but they couldn't fill the hole I currently had in my heart.

But my bittersweet memories were quickly replaced with wonder as I made my way up to drawing I had done with Sora. I blinked in astoundment at the fact that there was now an arm extending from my drawing of Sora, holding out a paopu fruit to the drawing of me that had been done by Sora.

I was so overwhelmed with happiness; I could feel Sora's presence again. He was there, scratching against the wall with a small stone. He turned to me and smiled, showing me that was indeed him that added to our drawing and reminding me that he really _was_ with me and I wasn't as alone as I felt.

I reached out for him, but he disappeared into a sparkling dust just as my fingers would have brushed his shoulder and my hand went against the rock wall instead. I had to laugh at my foolishness; how I hadn't taken my own words to heart and how I reached out for Sora when I knew he wasn't _physically_ there. Bust most of all, I laughed from the smile Sora had given me. It was so filled with love I couldn't help but feel giddy.

And a single tear fell from my eye, because my wish had come true. Not only was I sure of Sora's feelings, he showed me he would do anything for me. He kept me at home to keep me safe. The look on his face when my hand slipped out of his grasp clearly showed he didn't really want to let me go. He would rather suffer every day then almost lose me again.

The saying 'if you love someone, let them go' finally made sense.


	2. Leave Out All the Rest

**Sora's view of things, number one.**

**This takes place a little while after Sora is out of the memory pod thing; so towards the beginning of KH2.**

_Leave Out All the Rest_

O.x.O

When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed

And don't resent me  
And when you're feeling empty  
Keep me in your memory

Leave out all the rest  
Leave out all the rest  
O.x.O

I wish I knew how many days it'd been since I last saw Kairi. It had been five days before I went to sleep…

With how much taller I was when I woke up, it might have been longer than a year. But I couldn't just guesstimate. I had to know the _exact_ number.

All I knew now was that it'd been too long and I couldn't stand it.

If I knew how to reach Destiny Islands by Gummi Ship, I would do it in an instant. It wouldn't matter how mad Donald would be at me or any of that. All that would matter is seeing her smiling face again. The way I left was pretty much any way except for how I wanted it to be. After defeating Ansem and figuring out that Riku was okay and with the King, I was left with a spur of the moment decision.

Of course for what I had to do, there was no decision. I had to save Riku and the King. And as I told Kairi before, she would be a distraction due to the fact I would only care about _her_ safety and not anything else.

She looked like she understood that I had no choice except for to let her go. But there was no way of knowing for sure. At least, not without talking to her.

I sighed to myself, my heart aching in my chest.

This was my only alone time; right before I went to sleep. Out with Donald and Goofy, I had to be ready and aware at all times. I couldn't be pining over Kairi inside my head while heartless and nobodies were ready to spring on me at anything. Not that I didn't, anyway.

Just not like this. I could only allow myself to get completely taken over by my thoughts in the solitude of my own bed. …My borrowed bed, anyway.

Worst of all, it always kills me when I realize Kairi has no idea of how I feel about her and the extent of how much I miss her. I'm sure it's painful enough for her to be missing her two best friends in the first place, but I can't help but wonder if she misses me like I miss her; heartache to the point where it physically hurts my body. And the thought of never seeing her again makes me sick to my stomach every time.

I knew it was a possibility, but it was one I couldn't handle. It couldn't happen that way. It just couldn't.

Shaking my head, I reminded myself, '_I need to cut it out before I have to make a run for the bathroom_.'

If there ever was a time where I was actually completely calm, it was with her. Of course, I'd over think what to say and what to do but there were times where we'd be completely silent while watching the sunset, sitting next to each other and I felt completely at peace.

I tried so hard to be everything I thought she'd want, but in the end I'd always turn into the regular, dorky Sora. But in the end, I think that worked out in my favor.

Before my adventure began, I was spending all my free time just with Kairi. She almost seemed to avoid Riku, which baffled me. Only now do I know what Kairi meant when she said, "Riku's changed…" I was too naïve back then to see that Riku's heart had already been tainted by darkness. Kairi, as always, was wise behind her years and that was one of the many reasons why I loved her. There pretty much wasn't a thing I _didn't _love about Kairi.

But in the end, it only made the ache for her more painful with each day that passed me by.


End file.
